A Tamer’s Adventure

Amber was in a place of peace. She knew she was undergoing evolution right now, and she learned from it as her body changed.

The Greater Kobold form the system envisioned was an improved version of herself, taller, stronger, slightly more muscular, and overall more dexterous. And her body would gain more water-attuned features.

If a Kobold were to be compared to a young adult, then a greater Kobold would be her full-grown adult form at its peak.

‘I know for a fact he’s going to ogle at me,’ she mentally chuckled.

She felt the system light up in her mental space as her evolution neared its end.

[Your evolution is nearing completion, as a result, various skills have levelled up! Your attributes have increased greatly!]

[Mana core (8) > (9) Water magic (3) > (4) Physicality (1) > (2) Fast healing (3) > (4) Tough scales (4) > (5)!]

Slowly, feeling returned to her; she felt connected to her now-evolved body. And in the increase of skills, she learned a new water magic, one she had been practising: hydrification, the system filling in the gaps, and feeling with its knowledge.

‘I can’t wait to see his face when I use this skill.’

As more feeling returned, she left the mental space, now in a tough shell like a cocoon. At the simplest touch, it broke apart easily.

She rose, finding the leather armour she wore to be tighter, which was normal as she’d grown.

“Wow.”

She caught Martyn’s awed gaze, mesmerised by her new form. And he had reason to be, for one.

“You're just as tall as me; I’ve still got two inches on you though. Thank god.” He sighed.

Being so close in height, she leaned in, locking lips with her partner. No surprise followed as his hands gravitated to her waist before gripping her soft butt through its leathery confides.

She pulled back, licking her lips. "Well, how’s the new me?”

Amber stepped back, doing a twirl. Martyn took her in deeply; her new Greater Kobold form looked familiar to her previous form, but she was taller; her blue scales skin was smooth; her chest size had grown from a B to a C; and he couldn’t complain.

Her musculature was slightly more prominent, her body shape was gaining a slight curve, and her face had become slightly flatter, with her tail slightly slimmer than before.

“Do you want to test this new body?” Amber spoke with sweet words.

It drew him in with the desire to explore her new body and how it would feel, but he held himself back. Even when she leaned forward on her knees showing her cleavage and turned slowly, rocking her hips at him.

‘Definitely when we come back.’ He swore to the panther god that he would mate till he filled her every hole with his seed.

“Not right now; as much as I would love to take you, let's hold on until we get back. I’m sure you're hungry, so I cooked what was left of the boss.”

He brought over a plate full of steaks as the smell reached her nose. Amber’s stomach churned in celebration; she flushed, making Martyn grin.

They sat on small boulders and dug in. Amber hungrily scarfed down meat after meat.

In their small break, Martyn pulled up her status examining her growth.

‘Her attributes increased by roughly twenty per cent; how is this fair?’

“I can’t help but feel jealous that you get to evolve.”

She smirked after finishing her meal. She washed the utensils with her water magic and stored them in the inventory. With a cute yawn and purposeful stretches to show her body, she smiled.

“Don’t worry, dear, I’ll make up for it later.” She winked.

Martyn could feel it from their bond; if only he had a table in his inventory or even a blanket, he would gladly do it in the boss room. But sadly, he didn't, so they went to leave the boss's room.

“Should we aim to evolve me again as soon as possible or wait? At this rate, we should be able to head down to the tenth floor and get me a C-ranked monster core.” Amber said as they walked through the doors.

“Let’s hold on to that till we reach the twelfth floor; try to get your attributes up there, but that also means if you can meet the requirements to evolve in time.”

It wasn’t even that long after they left the boss's room, barely a minute, that a cold shiver killed their warm atmosphere. Something rippled through them, and their extrasensory skills flared.

Martyn’s spatial awareness expanded to its maximum, and a blur rushed towards him.

“Martyn!” Amber called out as her extrasensory skill flared, pulling out a shield.

Martyn drew from his inventory the talisman, and without hesitation, he went to tear it when gravity shifted to the left. Pain spiked from his chest; the blur was faster than him, and the figure kicked him in the chest, grabbing the talisman in hand.

His senses flared, his chest cracking from the blow.

Amber roared, swinging her spear at the assailant, who dodged. She rose her shield up as another warning flared, blocking a heavy kick that sent her skidding back to Martyn.

“Huff, who sent you?” Martyn glared, his emerald eyes seething. He rose, his body quivering, his passive healing already working to heal his cracked ribs.

The two cloaked figures cackled as a third appeared, with a sword in hand.

“Doesn’t matter. No one’s coming to your rescue." The middle man said as he was pulling out a silver dagger.

The one on his right pulled out two twin daggers, and the third held a short sword.

Martyn rose, pulling out his scimitar from his inventory. With Amber by his side, panic rose through them.

They were ready to fight. Martyn raised his hands, forming a magic barrier, and pulled out the escape stone from his inventory. It was smarter to run. He smashed it against the ground, only for nothing to happen.

Amber’s eyes widened at the realization, ‘Magic items have been cancelled; they must’ve set up magic wards.’

Hope for escape has diminished. Martyn silently cursed as the assassins stood waiting, their eyes lighting up in glee.

"We are not here to kill you. Well, not yet; that’s what the brat ordered. We get paid extra if we bring the bitch too. So just come along!” The leader dashed, coating his blade in mana and swinging at the barrier.

It cracked but held still; he swung again, and in that moment it broke; it shattered purposefully as Martyn shot a magic bolt and Amber swung.

The leader couldn’t block both, so he parried Amber’s swing, coating his body in mana as he took the blast with a grunt.

He coughed standing up, and his two friends chuckled.

“Shut up! These brats aren’t fresh D ranks; they are their seasoned D ranks.”

At that, the other two stopped and moved up next to him.

Quickly, with his spatial awareness, Martyn appraised the trio simultaneously. From left to right, the dual-dagger assassin, single-dagger assassin leader, and swordsman assassin.

Of course, they had ways to hide certain details from appraisals, but what he needed to know was their abilities.

“This fucker!” The dual-wielder cursed, brandishing his blades.

“Focus; we need them alive, barely.” The leader said.

Amber held onto her spear tightly, her body rigid and ready for any movement. The battle began with the leader dashing forward, with Martyn and Amber meeting his daggers.

The swordsman vanished from sight, melting into the shadows, and the dual wielder rushed in. Martyn was on the defensive; he fired a magic bullet. The leader dodged and swung down, Martyn barely blocking as the assassin was faster and slightly stronger.

Before another stab, he unleashed a magic bomb up close. “Fucker!” the leader jumped back. It was the only way to get away.

Amber battled the dual wielder, making use of her shield and tail to try and catch him off guard, but he was quicker than her and overwhelmed her, hacking at her skin and drawing blood. She hissed, conjuring a spear of water, which he dodged but slipped on the floor and fell as a result of her magic.

She brought her spear down, stabbing him in the thigh. He grunted before coating his feet in mana and kicking her, which she blocked with her shield sending her back.

He cursed, pulling out the spear and snapping it in two. Amber hissed, pulling another one out of the inventory.

As Martyn clashed blades, he grunted. He had been using more mana than he expected to keep up in the fight, but the cuts across his body sustained were weakening him, and it's difficult to heal when you’re moving.

He managed to push back, unleashing magic missiles, which the leader defended by conjuring a magic barrier. His awareness was still active, and he felt it in the shadows. Behind Amber was the swordsman assassin.

“Amber behind you!” He called out as the leader swung his dagger, shooting an arc of mana.

Amber huffed her senses, flaring up. She moved her shield behind her, blocking the blow from the assassin. Sadly, this left her open as the one in front went to swing with his dual daggers. She conjured a magic barrier, but the fatigue caught onto her, and it broke.

“Aah!” She screamed as part of her tail was cut off. She fell while in pain.

Martyn paled and rushed the leader. The man, not expecting it, was taken aback as he unleashed a pointy black mana bolt, sending him flying across the cavern.

Turning, he dashed towards the dual-wielder with killing intent and swung his blade. The assassin scoffed, avoiding it as the swordsman moved in, and together they swung at Martyn, who barely dodged their blades as they sliced his skin.

He swung at the swordsman, coating his blade in mana, and tried to shoot a magic missile, only for the leader to kick him from behind.

Martyn landed hard as burning pain emerged from his back. The leader stabbed him, Martyn’s energy left him, and his body succumbed to all the cuts and blood loss.

“These bastards were tougher than he said; we’re charging extra.”

Martyn gagged, spitting blood. Dirt entered his lungs as he tried to stand, only for the leader to stomp down on his head.

“L-leave him alone!” Amber rose raggered spear and shield in hand.

Her tail stopped flailing, but blood still leaked.

"Well, isn’t that cute?” The dual-wielder chuckled.

“Stop.” Martyn dragged himself, only to be pressed down by the leader.

He could only watch as Amber fought the assassin, but it was in vain; the man broke her spear and stabbed her in the stomach. The sound of her flesh tearing echoed in his mind.

His heart raced. Amber fell, and Martyn grunted, trying to move, begging for any unfathomable strength to surge from him. It hurt; he didn't want to, but his tears rose from fatigue and pain.

A whistle left the assassin as he kicked Amber’s body over. “She’s a good-looking one, isn’t she?”

“Seriously? Tell me you’re not.”

“Shut up; you did fuck all in that fight, and the bitch stabbed me,” he said, drinking a potion.

“And besides, he said they need to be alive, nothing about their condition.” He let out a goblin smile.

Martyn grunted, trying to move as everything occurred before his eyes. He didn’t deserve this, why did they come his way? Panic ran through not only him but also Amber.

And through their bond, in their mix of fear, anguish and trepidation an agreement was reached.

Martyn groaned. He managed to push himself out of the man’s boot, turning over, but that only meant he could tear his eyes away from Amber and stare up at the man as his boot pressed down on his chest.

“Persistent little fuck, are you?” The leader said, “And make it quick; I don’t want to run into another adventurer’s party.”

Martyn stayed silent; the bleeding had lessened, some energy had returned to him, and his eyes were set ablaze. The leader with his boot down didn’t seem to like it, so he kicked Martyn in the face, a tooth flying out, making the man chuckle.

“That's a better look for you.”

"Fine, I’m staying to patrol in case anyone comes by.” The swordsman said he was leaving the area.

Amber was having a hard time; the assassin stabbed her; it wasn’t fatal but hurt like hell; her tail being cut off had ruined her balance; and his words only made him seeth in range.

Her body was sustaining deep and faint cuts; blood had stopped flowing, but for her healing to keep working had drained her of most of her physical energy, and she was nearly out of mana. But she held on despite the pain—both hers and seeing Martyn suffer.

Confidence pushed through their bond, fueling their resolve. Both had a final attempt, a Hail Mary plan.

‘I only need a chance.’ She halted her thoughts as the bastard’s hands went to remove her leather pants, revealing the briefs she wore.

He whistled, making her skin crawl in disgust.

Martyn shook beneath the man’s body. He gathered all the energy he could. Amber prepared herself as his hands went to pull down her briefs, his head lowering. She shivered in disgust at hearing his ragged breaths.

Martyn felt the readiness.

‘Now!’ Both thought and moved in sync; Amber’s hands moved up to the man's head, and Martyn moved his to the leader's knees.

In the split second drawing their attention, both drew from their shared inventory, bone cracked, and blood spilt.

Amber pulled out a dagger right out of the inventory as her hand moved, stabbing the bastard in the head—an instant death.

Martyn brought his to the leader’s kneecaps, coating the blade in mana, and stabbed it, exploding his knee.

“Aaarh!” He screamed, falling on his back, Martyn didn’t stop. Like a panther, he climbed over the man, stabbing him relentlessly up his body, leg, gut, and heart, and then sank the blade right at his face.

In the scream, Amber pulled out a health and mana potion, drinking them as the sword assassin returned, hearing the cries of his leader.

“What’s going on!?” He said this as Amber quickly dashed to Martyn, creating a magic barrier as he drank a mana and health potion.

His body sizzled as his wound closed. He drank a fatigue potion to calm his aching body. The assassin dashed, slashing at the barrier.

“Bastards!” He said relentlessly, “You killed my brothers!”

Amber chuckled at the hypocrisy as Martyn helped maintain the barrier. Touching the leader’s body, it vanished from sight, appearing in his inventory. Since it was full, he had to swap it out for some of the boss meat, but that was fine.

As the barrier held from the combined mana, Martyn pulled out the talisman from the inventory space and tore it, and it burst into blue flames.

The assassin stopped, shock filling his eyes. He glanced at his dead brother and the pool of blood belonging to his other sibling, he bit his teeth behind the mask making a decision.

‘Fuck, I’m not fighting that bastard knight,' He turned and ran, his figure melting into the shadows.

As the barrier stood up, Martyn and Amber collapsed, leaning on each other, blood, dirt and sweat staining their clothes.

Amber’s tail was still cut off, but it stopped bleeding.

With ragged breaths, they stared at each other’s beaten faces only for a second, however, as they burst out laughing.

“Hahaha, we’re alive!” Martyn with tears streaming down cupped her face, kissing her all over.

“Why are you laughing?” She said between her own fits of laughter as joyful tears fell down her face.

They were alive; it was all that mattered; they loved each other so much; they kissed and hugged, holding each other tightly; they could’ve died, been sold, killed, tortured, separated, or suffered a worse fate.

But they lived, struggled, and held on. Never had either of them been so happy to have each other.

Never have they grown so mad for one another; as they laughed and celebrated, they froze, feeling a new presence in the cavern.

“What happened?”

It was an all-too-familiar voice, and it brought a massive sense of ease to both of them, with their mental fatigue from so much emotion, action, and pain catching up as the barrier collapsed and they both lost consciousness.

"What happened?" The knight commander muttered, examining the area.

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